It was a good day for profit takers, since they are facing a pair of unresolved matters and the climb up in the gold price has been long and strong.

When the U.S. was locked into a severe winter from December through February (heck, the East Coast is actually getting hammered again today) economic activity was squelched. All the things you can imagine working toward that suppression of activity indeed went on.

AFTER THE SHOW  contains a portion  from the Weekend Review (3.14.14)

We are all aware by now of the fact that the shrill dispute in the Ukraine/Crimea is driving gold prices higher. Today silver grabbed some of the same luster, after having had a rugged handful of sessions on a drop in industrial demand from China.

Are the Russians begging for a war with the E.U., U.S. and other industrialized societies? The massing of troops on the Ukrainian border, reported only mid-afternoon by  The New York Times seems to indicate the answer is "yes."

The worry of war in the Ukraine/Crimea region is not what is specifically on the minds of safe haven investors right now. This is not to say that war cannot beak out should either the Ukrainians or Russians lose their heads.

Like a gnat on a summer night, the situation in Ukraine flutters and darts around the periphery of the world's vision. Just when things seem to simmer down, the tension ratchets up again.

In a very light news day, gold and silver find themselves trading just up or slightly down, respectively.

As is almost always the case, the number of new jobs does not comport with the actual "assessed" unemployment rate. The last few months, new job creation in the United States has been very sluggish, but the unemployment rate kept creeping down.

An interesting sign appeared today in the precious markets. Bargain hunter stepped in as prices were going up, just as they did yesterday. Those hounds are smelling something and it ain't steak and eggs.